No War for ummm Sludge?

If, as some suggest, BushCo invaded Iraq to gain control of the oil, they've done their usual fine job of it. According to the Beeb, Iraqi Oil exports have hit a new post-war low. (of course, new lows is what we've come to expect from the Shrub and his cohorts) And who's going to fix the situation? The only man in the whole Iraq-war-fiasco with lower credibility than W! Your pal and mine (if we've got something worth stealing, of course)....... Ahmed Chalabi!

Last month's exports totalled 1.1 million barrels per day, down from November's 1.2 million figure.

Shamkhi Faraj, the government's director general of economics and oil marketing, blamed the fall on the security situation.

He added that bad weather at southern ports was also a contributory factor.

This halted exports for more than a week last month.

...

Last Friday, Iraqi Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum was temporarily released from his post amid a dispute over the government's petrol pricing policy.

Mr Bahr al-Uloum had publicly objected to the Iraqi government's decision to raise petrol prices threefold.

He was replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi.

On Monday Mr Uloum submitted his resignation.